Aftermath of Covid In Our Education
Since March 11, 2020, the world has been living under a cloud of Covid. SJPS is no exception, and until this year, the difference has been blatant. We were all robbed of our 2020-2021 school year by extended quarantines, hybrid class, and online school. Two years later, we’re still feeling the effects of this pandemic; that being said, masks have remained non-mandatory and quarantines have not been exercised this year. However, the education system itself is still adjusting to such a drastic shift.
Many teachers at SJHS share the notion that the technology used in distance learning is here to stay. With google classroom, teachers have the ability to give their students more resources more efficiently. When absences occur, students can tune in to class via video or receive their work remotely. Even during in-person school, this can be a great advantage.
“The use of technology has [given me] more tools in my toolkit,” Mr. Gary Etter, a social studies teacher and coach at SJHS, stated.
Teachers also recognize the strain put on students during those times, and kids are being reintroduced to expectations and full-time school. For example, most courses at SJHS had to cut their curriculums down to accommodate absences, quarantines, and the countless other complications that arose. Mrs. Kesley Froelich, a biology teacher at SJHS, agreed that she hasn’t taught as much since covid. However, there is a silver lining.
“A benefit, perhaps, is that I really focused my teaching on the most important things… coming on the other side, if we’re running short on time, or we need more time on this topic, I know more things that are wiggly,” she said. This year fully back in person, Mrs. Froelich has been “meshing” those styles of teaching, finding a happy medium that incorporates technology, necessary information, and making sure not to accentuate the unimportant.
Additionally, Mrs. Bean Klusendorf, an English teacher at SJHS, stated that the decrease in the volume of information taught is due, in part, to cell phones–not just Covid.
“I feel like we cover less–our pace is slower, and we are giving students more time to do what we gave them less time to do ten years ago… It feels like students are willing to do less, and I think that a lot of that is the introduction of smartphones and the number of hours that students spend doing other things,” she said. “Sschool and curriculum–pre-smartphones–kids just had more time, and they made better use of their time.”
The cracks in student’s days are filled with Tiktok, mobile games, social media, and all else that shelves the app store. It makes sense; why do fifteen minutes of homework when you can watch a few Tiktoks?
Mrs. Nita Nicholie, an Honors physics teacher and NHS advisor, has noticed a disparity in academic experience among her students since the initial year of Covid–specifically regarding preparation.
“The kids are the same; they’re just as smart. For example, in physics, we use a lot of trigonometry. Well, if the spring of 2020 was when you learned trig, you don’t know that,” she said. Thus, Ms. Nic has had to take a few steps back, making sure to teach the things her students may have missed.
Another observation she has made about the post-Covid student body regards managing stress–especially with an advanced level class like Honors physics. Most years, Ms. Nic has had 75-80 students in her class, and some years it was close to 100. This year, however, there are fewer than 50. So, the question is, how do we, as high school students, find the balance between challenge, hard work, and maintaining a healthy mental state?
“I’m still working on that,” Ms. Nic said.
An additional example of Covid learning differences comes from Ms. Nic’s ten-year-old son, a fourth-grader. They were having a conversation when it came up that he doesn’t know the months of the year. By fourth grade, that’s shocking, but kids learn their months in the spring of 1st grade–which, for Ms. Nic’s son, was when Covid hit. Down the road, as we find more gaps in early education, things may get ugly.
Living in a post-covid world, our schools, teachers, and material will continue to change and improve among the adjustments we’re all making to “normalize” our lives again. The important things we can do, as students, are to remain positive and be willing to embrace both challenges and change.